WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

Q&A with Chris Durand

Published on January 28, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


Chris Durand recently returned from the Under-17 World Hockey Tournament in St. John's, Newfoundland. He was the captain of Team Western, one of five teams representing Canada at the tournament. The Thunderbirds had a chance to sit down with Chris and talk about his experiences at the tournament.

Thunderbirds: What was the experience like of playing in the Under-17 tournament?

Chris: It was unbelievable. It was the first time I had the opportunity to play for Team Canada. It was great hockey and the people of Newfoundland are very friendly. It was a very positive experience and I will remember it for a long time.

TB: How does playing in a tournament like this help your development as a hockey player?

C: Playing at the U-17 definitely expanded my knowledge and skills in the game. It teaches you to play through adversity and all the other things that you can't control. The tournament not only teaches you hockey skills but life skills as well. It teaches professionalism and discipline, which are important in life. There is a lot more you can take out of the tournament than just the hockey aspect

TB: Scott Jackson played for Team Pacific. Did you two ever match up against each other in a game? If you did how did the match up play out?

C: Yes. Scott and I matched up against each other once because we were both in the same pool. They ended up beating us 7-2. They just had too strong of a team for us, and it showed by the score.

TB: What was the style of games that were played? Were they offensive or defensive games?

C: From just looking at the overall scores from each game, I would say there was an offensive mentality there. Even in our own games there was always pressure to put points up on the board. Every team had players that could do that, and they could easily run away with the game if you didn't keep up.

TB: In the WHL, games are physical, with hard checking and grinding in the corners. Where the games in the tournament played like this?

C: All these components of the game were still there at the tournament, but there was a high level of finesse also involved. Playing with and against high caliber players there, everyone was capable of making plays in fast, tight situations. In international tournaments like the U-17, every player either has experienced or played different styles of hockey and they are able to adapt to them quickly and compete at high levels.

TB: You scored four goals in a game against Germany during the tournament. How did this happen? Were you just getting lucky or what?

C: I must have blacked out for 60 minutes...I'm just joking. The game against Germany was the last game of the tournament for my team. I didn't want to leave Newfoundland feeling I didn't give it everything I had. I did score four goals, but there were four others guys out there helping me.

TB: There were other players from the WHL in this tournament. Did you play with or against a guy that you didn't know was a good as he was?

C: Going into the tournament I knew every player there was a good player. There wasn't any player that I could rate as the best simply because each player brought something different to the team. It was hard to tell because it is amazing what happens to players when they put on the Maple Leaf and play for their country.

TB: You were the captain of your team. What was this like? Have you ever been a captain of a team before?

C: Being named captain was a tremendous honor for me. To be the leader not only of my team, but also for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba was an unbelievable feeling. I have been a captain and a leader of my teams in the past, but never had those teams had the responsibility and importance as this one did at the U-17.

TB: Did you follow the World Junior tournament in Helsinki while you were at the Under-17 tournament? Are the World Juniors something every player strives to play in?

C: I tried to keep up to date as much as possible while I was there. Watching the highlights from their last game was a daily routine. It's hard not to know what is happening at the WJC because it is a big event in Canada during the holiday season. For me to play in the WJC would be a dream come true. It is the one thing, besides playing in the NHL, which kids dream about playing in. I have just completed the first of three steps to get there, so hopefully one day I might represent Canada at the WJC.

TB: Did the teams from other countries play a different style of game? And if so how did that affect your game and your team's game?

C: When we played against the European countries they always brought a different style. Most European teams played a very finesse style of game, whereas the North American teams played a lot more physical. To compensate for that we would change our systems a bit to allow us the best possible chance of winning.

TB: What did you learn from your experience at the tournament that you can apply to playing with the Thunderbirds?

C: Playing at the U-17 gave me a great sense of pride for who I was playing for. I was representing Canada every time I stepped on the ice. When you wear a sweater with tradition like Canada's it always gives you that little bit extra. The Thunderbirds are no different; there is tradition here so hopefully I can carry that over. Plus in short term competitions like that, winning every game is very important to make the playoffs. We are in the same situations here; we need to win the majority of our games before the playoffs.

TB: What do you expect from the Thunderbirds in the second half of the season?

C: I think that if we keep working hard and trying to improve ourselves each day we will finally start to see success. If we could put a stretch of wins together, I think it would be a huge confidence builder for everyone and we would really believe that we could be a contender going into playoffs

TB: Thanks for your time and good luck with the rest of the season.

C: Thanks. It was my pleasure.

Check out the Seattle Thunderbirds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from January 28, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central